Making his daddy proud

2 month check up!

Today was the much-dreaded 2 month check up - the one with all of the shots!  Eek!  I was a bit of a mess knowing what I was taking Ben to.  We arrived, weighed and measured Ben, and he got a thorough look over, and then I snapped this shot of him as he waited, totally clueless, for his 3 shots and 1 oral vaccination.

CHUBSSS!!!

Poor guy!  He cried, but as soon as it was over, he ate.  He continued to whimper a little bit, but so far, he has been happily napping the afternoon away.

But now for the fun part:

Weight: 13 lbs, 3 oz (75th - 90th percentile)

Length: 23.5 inches (75th percentile)

Head circumference: 16 inches (50th - 75th percentile)

UPDATE - Ben woke up for his afternoon nap....and SCREAMED.  For 30 minutes straight.  (And so did I).  After a little baby Tylonal and another nap, itt was as if nothing ever happened.  (Phew).  I am not looking forward to his 4 month check up :(

2 months old (and Happy Thanksgiving)

Today, on Thanksgiving, Ben turned 2 months old.  It is, of course, shocking - but I have to admit, as he grows bigger and stronger (which devastates me at times), he is becoming so much more fun!  For example, last night - he laughed.  I melted.  I was pretending to eat his fist, which apparently was hilarious.  It was so adorable and a teeny tiny sound, and I just cannot wait until that turns into a big, belly laugh!

On the eve of Ben turning 8 weeks old, Ben slept for 8 LONG hours.  Since then, he has slept for 8, 9 and 10 hours from the time I first put him down, and then allowing me to sleep until an early morning feed (around 5 am).  It isn't like this every night right now, but it definitely seems to be a developing pattern. 

We also have noticed just in this last week that Ben is reaching out and hitting the animals that dangle above him on his activity mat.  Yesterday, he was working so hard at it that he passed right out and took a little nap.  He also is doing great during tummy time, and can hold himself up in this position for quite some time!

We tried out his Bumbo chair, which he looks like a little old man in.  I keep a pillow propped up behind him as I don't feel his head is quite steady enough.

Seriously....this is what I look at all day!

Ben is just the sweetest baby ever, not giving much trouble to mom and dad at all.  Perhaps he will make up for it in his toddler years?

What it's like to be a mom

It's a little hard to put into words what I have been feeling over the past eight weeks since Ben was born. For me, becoming a mom and "mothering" was not something I ever thought I would enjoy this much. As I had previously blogged about, I was so worried about how I would transition into this new role, but the transition was seamless...and instantaneous. Ben has completely changed who I am, and I LOVE every second of being his mom. The amount of love I feel for him scares me at times, as I know that I will constantly worry about him for the rest of my life

Every single day, I wake up and it feels like Christmas morning! This kid is MINE! And Greg's! (What a fantastic thing to share with the person you love the most, huh?) When he smiles at me, which now happens all the time and without my prompting him with my own smile, I just melt. He is just unbelievably sweet and I constantly feel like my heart might explode with happiness.

So, yes, clearly the post-partum hormones have kicked into full gear. I've had a tough week as it feels like time is going by much too quickly. My newborn baby is about to be 2 months old. I only have 6 weeks left of maternity leave. I recently spent an entire day in a total funk over the rapid rate at which he seems to be growing, but I have a handle on things now. ("Now", as in right this very second...as I will likely have endless challenges with him growing up). It really is so important to enjoy every moment (as I have been reminded) and to know that the best is yet to come!

Ben, you have turned your mom into a total sap. Thanks, buddy.

Attitude?

Ben, the sweetest baby on Earth, acting like he's hard.

Bronson and Ben (Part 2)

Ben in his swing

I hope this doesn't make anyone dizzy....but I wanted to try to capture just how HAPPY this lamb swing makes Ben.  He stays so focused on the lambs as they circle above his head and will eventually doze off after he has had enough.

Ben and his birdies

So happy he likes his mobile!

Extreme Close-Up

Ergo infant insert

Love this little insert that Ben is swaddled in while we take a walk with him in the Ergo carrier. He enjoys continuing his nap in it long after our walk is over :)

And Maxwell keeps it warm for us when we aren't using it.

A few of my favorite things

Blogs are awesome.  I am totally mommy blog obsessed.  As a pregnant person, and now a parent, I find them to be such a great resource to share in other women's experiences and see how they felt/what they thought/what they did when they were in my shoes.  My friend Maureen posted a blog when her daughter, Maeve, was around Ben's age about the items she could not live without.  I found that to be so helpful when I was purchasing items for Ben before he was born, and now I have my own list of items I have found to be life-savers.  I currently have about a million pregnant friends, so I thought I would share that list here.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe Wraps and/or Halo Sleep Sacks:
As I mentioned before, Ben is a guy who NEEDS to be swaddled when it's time for him to sleep.  It cracks me up to watch him - fist-pumping and leg-kicking - as he seems to just work himself into a frenzy.  We have about 5 different wraps on hand.

Receiving Blankets/Burp Cloths/Wash Cloths

I kind of use these three things all the same way - to wipe up or protect myself/my clothing from any spit up that may occur after Ben eats.  I go through SO MANY each day that again, like the swaddle wraps, it is helpful to have a large supply. 

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer

This thing is ALWAYS in my pocket, on my nightstand, or in my diaper bag.  This timer allows you to push a button to set a counting clock to see how long its been since you last changed your baby's diaper, when they last ate (and which "side" you last fed on if you are breastfeeding), when they went down for their nap, and then a spare button for whatever you want to time.  In the first week after Ben was born, I used that 4th timer to time when I took my pain meds ;)

Boppy Pillow

A must have if you are nursing.  It's allowing me to edit this blog while Ben eats ;)

Lansinoh Nursing Pads

I have only tried one other brand before I was running back to the store to get another box of these.  I think they are the best ones out there.  They stay put and absorb well.

The Happiest Baby on the Block

This book was recommended to me, and I read it a few months before Ben was born.  I learned SO MUCH from this book, most importantly, the "5 S's":

1.  Swaddle

2.  Side/Stomach Position

3.  Shhhh'ing

4.  Swinging

5.  Sucking

When I was pregnant, I was constantly feeling as if I would have no idea what to do with a baby once he was here.  While a certain amount of instinct kicked in immediately, this book really did help me to feel like I was preparing myself - and different combinations of the 5 S's have definitely helped to soothe Ben.

Glider

My mom purchased this glider for us and we use it ALL the time.  Perfect for feeding Ben and for rocking him before bed.  It even has pockets on the sides where I store burp clothes and my kindle.  (The link above is to www.simplybabyfurniture.com which is a great place to buy furniture - shipping is always free and their customer service is excellent). 

Snap N Go Stroller

Registering for this stroller was a bit of an afterthought, but when it arrived on our doorstop a few days after Ben was born (a gift from a friend who couldn't make it to the shower), we were so excited!  I use it all the time when out running errands.  We were given a BOB stroller by a friend of mine who no longer had use for it, but Ben won't fit in that for a few more months.  Also, this Snap N Go stroller is lightweight and compact, so it is much easier to put Ben in.  His car seat just snaps right into it - and it has a cup holder! 

Diaper Bag

I love my diaper bag.  Petunia Pickle Bottom makes super cute bags with a zillion pockets for storing things.  Good product!

Activity Mat

I really like the activity mat (or "activity gym") we purchased, and so does Ben!  Lately he has become so interested in the animals hanging in front of him and he absolutely loves looking at himself in the mirror :)  It definitely comes in handy when Ben needs some entertaining and I need to do something like fold laundry or get some work done.

Summer Infant babyTouch Color Video Monitor

We sprang for the fancy monitor, and have not regretted it since.  We luckily managed to get this monitor for 35% off, which originally justified the purchase.  The features on this thing are pretty great though.  The camera, which we have mounted on the wall above Ben's crib, can be moved from the monitor's touch screen to see out into the rest of his room.  It also has a intercom feature, which has come in handy a few times when Greg and I need to communicate with one another from another room and don't want to shout in case Ben is sleeping.  (Just the other night, Greg was singing lullaby's to Ben via intercom) :)  Another reason it is helpful is that I can watch him from the other room in the middle of the night when he starts making noises and determine when I actually need to go there. 

Love You Forever

I feel TERRIBLE that I cannot remember...(I blame it on mommy-brain), but WHO is responsible for giving me this book?  I blame you for making me SOB while reading it to Ben.

Ergo, baby!

This week we have had some surprisingly nice weather - in fact, it is my favorite kind of weather: sunny, cold, crisp fall days :)  Being that Ben is now 6 weeks old, and since my back is about 80% better, it seemed like the right time to start getting some physical activity in.  I LOVE my Ergo baby carrier - and so does Ben!  I have used it every day this week.  This morning, since Ben woke up at 6:15 am and seemed to think it was time to stay awake, we took a walk down to Starbucks to get some coffee.  The second I start walking, Ben falls and stays asleep. 

Side note about Ben's sleeping schedule:  He went to bed at 8:30 pm and slept until 6:15 am only waking to eat once at 1:30 am!!  Hope this is the start of a new pattern!

Baby Fashion

Hurry up, 3-6 months! Adorable clothes await you!

6 weeks old

Ben is 6 weeks old!  He continues to be so much fun and such a happy little guy.  I was so proud of him for being such a good boy for so many people this week:  snuggling with Maureen during our coffee date, snuggling with my mom during my dentist appointment and snuggling with Cherie, my friend Callie's mom, during our visit at her house!  He also was awesome and slept through my lunch with Lisa and through mine and Greg's entire outing yesterday :)  For the most part, this kid hardly ever gives us trouble....although, at times, he can be like this...

...he usually is more like this:

I'm kind of laughing at the fact that just last week, I posted a "Day in the Life" on our typical day around here.  Literally the next day, I visited my friend Shauna and was inspired to re-read Babywise (a book both she and I had read while we were pregnant) and work to get Ben on a schedule.  Shauna has been working with Bronson and has had success with getting him to sleep for longer chunks during the night.  She suggested I start with trying to get Ben into a "eat, wake, sleep" pattern - which is what I have been doing ever since.  Sometimes Ben doesn't follow this pattern, but for the most part he does.  I realized that he was not getting enough sleep during the day!  Now, instead of one marathon nap in the afternoon, Ben naps at (approximately): 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 6:30 pm, and then goes to sleep for good around 8:30 pm.  The idea is that you start your day at the same time every day (for us it will be 8 am...until the weeks leading up to my going back to work, when we will move our "start time" to 6:30 or 7) and work to eat, then stay awake for awhile, followed by a nap - cycles of 2 and a half to 3 and a half hours.  It really seems to be working so far.  Below is the suggested schedule from the book:

2 weeks ago, Ben was suffering from REALLY bad baby acne.  I don't have any pictures that show how bad it got, but it was very red and rashy looking.  Being the rookie mom that I am, when his "rashy" acne was combined with a fever of 99.4...I started to worry that he was sick.  It's amazing all of the things that creep into your mind when something unknown happens with your child.  I found myself checking to make sure he was breathing in his sleep (like I did the first few nights).  After a long conversation with my doctor on the phone, she suggested that I bring him in to ease MY concerns (as she didn't really have any based on the symptoms that I described).  I figured it was WELL WORTH the $20 co-pay to go in and have him looked over.  (He was perfectly fine).

Another great thing about taking him in was that we got to weigh him!  As of 10 days ago, Ben weighs 10 lbs 10 oz!  Dang!  I knew that Ben was a good eater, but it was reassuring to know that he IS, in fact, getting all that he needs from me.  On a related note, breastfeeding is going very well - much better than I ever thought it would.  To be completely honest, I was a little hesitant about how long I would do this for.  I still am not comfortable doing it in public (thank goodness for dressing rooms and the Nordstroms ladies' lounge).  The thing is, I managed to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight in 5 weeks...without cutting back on what I'm eating AND without much exercising (yet), so I'm thinking that this has played a big part in that.  This, combined with how well it seems to be working for Ben, has me much more determined to try to continue when I go back to work.  I currently am pumping once a day to build up a supply in the freezer.  I hope that since I will only be at the office and away from Ben 3 days a week, it will be relatively easy to keep this up as long as it is beneficial to him.  I will keep you posted...

Back to Ben - he is currently wearing 3 month clothing and soon will be able to fit in some of his 3-6 month stuff!  It was a sad, sad day when the newborn sizes that were swimming on him at birth become SO snug that he couldn't even straighten his legs!  The good news is, we have been lent and given SO many adorable outfits that I am happy each and every time I dress him in the morning!

Remember this outfit?  It was the first outfit purchased for

Ben by his Aunt Rachel the day we found out he was a boy!

Ben is now smiling on a daily basis and is starting to make some cooing sounds (although just a few here and there).  He seems to be able to see us from a further distance as well.  One thing Greg noticed this week is that he LOVES watching the lights from the cars on the street outside his room.  I suppose this is one positive thing about the area we live in ;)  At night, we will leave his blinds slightly cracked so that he can see the lights coming in through his window.  I even went out to the store and purchased a "Twilight Turtle" (same family as the sleep sheep) that projects stars up on the ceiling in his room.  He LOVES it!

Oh, and I think I forgot to mention it, but Ben is now sleeping in his crib, IN HIS ROOM, for all naps and at night.  It all really happened by accident.  The night before we got started on the new schedule, Ben was having a hard time going to sleep.  Greg took over, went into his room, showed him the lights from the cars, and then when he was starting to doze off, put him down in his crib.  When Greg returned to our room without Ben, I admittedly was a little sad/annoyed.  I hadn't really made the decision yet to have him in his own room quite yet.  While I didn't sleep very well that night, it has turned out to be a great thing.  Ben is getting even more skilled at falling asleep on his own and seems to be sleeping much better in there!  We, too, are sleeping better.  While I of course still watch and listen to him via baby monitor, it is a lot easier for me to let him babble and watch him squirm around for a few minutes instead of immediately picking him up.  This means that Ben will often times fall back asleep, so we are all getting longer stretches of sleep at night now. 

Here are some more photos from the week:

Fun with Photoshop

Bronson and Ben

This picture is from October 10th. Bronson and Ben are exactly 1 month and 1 day apart! I can't believe how much both of these boys have grown in the last few weeks!

So obsessed with this kid

This is why I swaddle